The Old Town

This UNESCO Heritage site will undoubtedly draw the vast majority of the crowds. Although the character of the Old Town has changed since I first laid eyes upon it in 2009 there is no question that it is still one of the most beautiful medieval towns in all of Europe.

Ditch the map, grab your your camera, explore at night and embrace the art of exploration. Get lost among the old cobbled lanes.

That is the advice I would give to a regular Old Town tourist, but you’re not a regular tourist? If you want to discover the “hidden history” of the Old Town, how about trying to find some myths and legends?

This is the first photograph I ever took of the Old Town, before I had even set foot on Estonian soil.

Myths, Legends and Ghosts

Now you’re talking! The Old Town is undoubtedly beautiful but us travellers are not that shallow, we want to get to know the Old Town for who she really is.

In 2011, I wrote this…

“Tallinn’s beauty is not only skin deep; there is a ‘hidden history’ running parallel to the physical realm of medieval churches and cafe culture. This history is not based on archives and artefacts, but on a more romantic premise of storytelling and word of mouth. Tallinn is a city built on folklore and for those keen enough to explore and delve into this ‘hidden history’, the rewards are numerous. Leave the guide book at home, this is the real Hidden Tallinn.”

Beyond the Old Town:

The Neighbourhoods of Tallinn

Kalamaja

Currently the hippest neighbourhood in Tallinn. Wooden houses, cafés and cool people give Kalamaja a neighbourly vibe.

In its early days this district was actually the centre of a fishing community (the word Kalamaja literally translates to “Fish House”). Fishmongers, markets and boat-building enterprises dominated the area. Houses were built from the most abundant natural resource: wood from the forest.

Features

Wooden Houses

Hipsters

Cafés, restaurants and craft beer

Me, often

Abandoned Buildings

Street Art

Highlights/Reasons to visit

Telliskivi Creative City

Patarei (currently closed but you can still walk along the promenade and see the outside of the building for yourself, or you can read about it here)

Features

Highlights

Stroomi

Park/Nature (Tervisajad)

The Vibe

“The Lines”

Emerging hipster culture (e.g. Kopli Restoran, Bekkeri Bakery, etc…)

Professors’ Village

Pirita

One of the largest and wealthiest neighbourhoods in Tallinn. Despite its size, it has one of the smallest populations which means that there is plenty of nature in Pirita. Forests, beaches, a meandering river and several walking trails.

Residents of Pirita usually live in stand-alone private houses. Yeah, these dudes are pretty rich.

Highlights

Kadriorg

Centred around Kadriorg Park, the buildings here tend to have a very grand, decedent facade. It’s no surprise that the president lives here.

Around the park, there are some quaint interesting neighbourhoods and the sea is very close!

Highlights

Kadriorg Park (look out for the Festival of Lights in September)

Presidents’ Palace (check out the stone-faced guards that wait outside the door twenty four hours a day)

Russalka

KUMU Art Museum

Song Festival Grounds

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

NÕMME : once a village, became absorbed into Tallinn, forested community, large gardens, detached houses, historical centre with farmers market

HABERSTI : check out the Open Air Museum, Zoo (if you like seeing mistreated animals out of their natural habitat), Käkumae Beach and Rocca al Maare. Also a great place to come for a bike ride.

LASNAMÄE : another forgotten district, most highly-populated district, high proportion of Russian speakers, Soviet-style apartment blocks, known as the ‘bedroom community’, after years of financial neglect, investment has started to flow into Lasnamäe

MUSTAMÄE : mainly residential, second largest population of all other districts, apartment blocks dominate much of the landscape, pockets of green scattered around

UUS MAALIM : community vibes, sometimes referred to as the “hippie district”, cool place to hangout, street festival in September.

Abandoned Estonia

Tallinn is an urban explorers’ paradise. As economies shift, regimes crumble and people are emancipated, the scars of the past are revealed. Tallinn is littered with abandoned places: factories, wooden houses, obsolete infrastructure and institutions of brutality.

All of these relics reveal a different side of Tallinn’s story. You can go and read a historical account or peruse through a museum, but this history is visceral, palpable, tangible. Don’t just read about the collapse of the Soviet Union, come and explore the remnants. Breath in the dust-filled air, soak in the eerie silence and absorb the musky atmosphere.

Urban exploration is for those travellers with a real sense of adventure.

Soviet Shadow

The most harrowing period of recent decades was the second Soviet occupation after 1944 which saw the arrest, execution and deportation of tens of thousands of civilians. These events haunt Estonians to this very day and linger long in the memory of the nation.

Despite the great sense of optimism and ambition that drives Estonia forward into the twenty-first century, the period of Soviet occupation cannot be easily erased and Tallinn still bears the scars of this terrible time.

Today, the remnants of Soviet times lie dormant – almost as if they are part of a museum exhibition – but it is important to remember that they represent a very dark time not just for Estonia, but for Eastern Europe in general and must be treated with the appropriate respect.

As for Tallinn’s unquenchable thirst for construction, the legend of the old man of the lake says that if Tallinn is ever complete, the waters of Lake Ülemiste will rise up and flood the city so it can begin again.

The citizens of Tallinn appear to be taking this threat literally as there are countless construction projects throughout the city. Roads are being widened, apartments are sprouting like mushrooms in the forest, shopping malls are taking shape, cycle paths are being laid and previously derelict areas are on the hitlist for this giant restoration project.

Tallinn is changing day-by-day. Cranes dominate the horizon and pneumatic drills echo across the land as this city continues its unrelenting march into the 21st century.

Food and Drink

This is a HUGE topic that could easily form the basis of another “ultimate guide” but here are the basics.

For now, I will share some of the best resources from around the internet to help you discover the thriving (and often underestimated) food scene in Tallinn for yourself.

Here a few of my personal favourites…

A few of my favourite places to eat and drink – Aed and V (for a nice evening out, maybe a celebration), F-Hoone, Burger Box, Noodle Box and Kaja Pizza for delicious, well priced lunches and dinners, Speakeasy, Puudel and Koht for beer, NOP is an amazing all-round establishment for high quality lunches, dinners and coffee, Paar Veini for wine and a good party… and any café on Müürivahe Street for great coffee (and a great places to work).

Day Trips

This is definitely a topic to delve into in a more extensive blog post, but I can offer you a list of my top picks for great days out.

Tartu

Pärnu

Haapsalu

Narva and Eastern Estonia

Aegna Island

Naissaar Island

Lahemaa National Park

Helsinki

Paldiski

Waterfalls

I am aware that this is a very brief list. If you have any questions about logistics, if you require more information or if you want more ideas (and yes, I do have more) please feel free to contact me here.

Finally, if you would like to see more and dig a little deeper, why not meet with me for a personalised Hidden Tallinn Walking Tour? Discover the secret stories of the Old Town in a small, private group, chosen by you.

Phew! Over 2,000 words later and we have reached the end of our Ultimate Guide to Tallinn. Did I miss anything out? Do you have any special local tips that didn’t make it into the guide?

Write them in the comments below so other travellers can be inspired to explore Tallinn in a more adventurous way!

Wow ! That’s an amazing post specially the trivia and facts. I went to Helsinki last year, and I still regret not seeing Tallinn. When I visit a city I love to wander around and discover its little corners. It seems like you know the city like the back of your hand 🙂